McCarthy Building Companies Inc. was recently recognized with the “Exposing the BEST in Concrete” award under the decorative concrete category for its work on the Arizona Fallen Firefighter Memorial project, which was completed in the fall of 2015.

Every two years, the Arizona chapters of the American Concrete Institute and the International Concrete Repair Institute select the top concrete projects in a variety of categories from throughout the state.

Twenty-five years in the making, the Arizona Fallen Firefighter Memorial commemorates the fallen firefighters and emergency medical responders and is a State-sanctioned memorial site for the men and women who died in the line of duty since 1902. Located in downtown Phoenix at the Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, this is the first memorial that is dedicated to all of the Arizona branches of firefighters and emergency medical responders; inclusive of the volunteer, wild land, military, and public personnel who have given their lives to protect our lives and property and is intended to provide a quiet place to consider their sacrifice and dedication.

The memorial was built entirely through donations with approximately $1.4 million raised through corporate and individual contributions, and approximately $250,000 contributed as in-kind donations from the project design and construction team, which included McCarthy Building Companies (general contractor), SmithGroup JJR (architect), PK Associates (structural engineer) and Coe & Van Loo Consultants (civil engineer). The final cost of the project was $1.7 million without the aid of any public or taxpayer funds.

The memorial consists of a concrete walkway that leads to a center courtyard. The center courtyard is emblazoned with the firefighters Maltese-emblem etched in the concrete. The courtyard is surrounded by a low, curved concrete wall clad in black granite with the engraved names of the fallen personnel. The focal point of the memorial is a 30-foot concrete bell tower that is also clad in granite. Ten life-size, custom bronze statues surround the center courtyard. The statues represent different branches of the firefighters and emergency medical responders.

“As a general contractor, this memorial ranks among McCarthy’s most meaningful projects and we are honored to be recognized for our concrete work,” said Bo Calbert, president of McCarthy’s Southwest division. “We hope those who visit the memorial find solace and reflect on the many sacrifices our firefighters and emergency medical responders make every day.”

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